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Friday, August 8, 2014

Working Momma

Even though he's on a 7 week break from school right now, Trevor is still working 20 hours a week and he mows lawns around our apartment complex, so I have had a few opportunities to see what life is about to be like as a full time momma and Realtor.

Waiting for our appointment. THIS is a perfect picture of what my life actually looks like!

The nature of real estate, I've learned, is that you can never fully plan your day. Which with a toddler is hard! As a mom, I've developed the skill of planning for naptime, packing what I need for the day, making sure I time things well within a window of about an hour or so on either end of naps and meals. I've never been super stringent on our schedule, but some semblance of a routine works wonders for the whole family.

So, when someone calls and says they want to see a house in 30 minutes, and Trevor is gone, and Milo is cranky, it's go time. We figure it out and make it happen. If I ever want to have success as a Realtor, I have to be accessible, available, and flexible.

I haven't been at it for long at all, but here are a few tricks of the trade I'm already figuring out:

1. Pack for the day the night before. I always have my lunch and Milo's bag packed so that we are prepared to leave whenever we need to.

2. Work out first thing in the morning. There is no more naptime running happening in my house. If I get up and get it done before the day starts for anyone else, then I can use naptime to get work done. Plus, endorphins.

3. Get ready first thing. Oh this is a hard one for me. But if I get ready (enough) to head out the door within about 20 minutes at any given time, it takes a lot of the potential stress away.

4. Sleep enough. The second I get too super tired, my mind starts going fuzzy and I can't focus nearly as well. If I fall short taking care of myself, EVERYTHING suffers.

5. Remember that Milo has to be adaptable too, and be sensitive to that. Playtime is playtime. I don't want him to feel like his momma time is suffering even though we are out and about a bit more.

6. Utilize naptime and bedtime and the hours when Trevor is home. He will be home by 6 this next semester, so that means I can get work done anytime 6-midnight if I have to. That plus naptime will give me plenty if hours a day if I'm smart about it.

7. Prioritize. My family will always, always be number 1. The rest I can figure out without too much trouble, and the laundry can (usually) wait. :)

8. Feel out the situation. Most people so far don't mind Milo joining us for showings. Meetings would be a different story, because I do have to maintain professionalism. Whenever I can bring Milo, I will. Then I can plan for the times I can't.

8. Have an emergency backup plan. If I'm meeting a client for the first time and I'm not sure how they will feel about me bringing Milo with me, and Trevor is at work, I know I have at least two friends who can hang out with Milo with very little notice most of the time (I love you Lettice and Caitlyn!)

If you have any brilliant ideas on how to be a full time mom and work at the same time, feel free to share! I need all the help I can get!